Deliver Food to Starving Hostages in Gaza

Global outrage is expressed over the starvation that has overtaken the Gaza Strip. Israel is held solely responsible for the starvation. After ending its blockade of aid to Gaza in May 2025, Israel established a new aid system, run by the Global Humanitarian Foundation (G.H.F.). However, the G.H.F. has far fewer aid sites than the U.N. had previously established, and today too little aid reaches the Palestinians in Gaza. Israel is under international pressure to establish additional aid sites that will operate more swiftly and efficiently.

No global outrage is expressed over the starvation of Israeli hostages in Gaza. Hamas refuses to identify the hostages or to reveal which ones are currently alive. Israel estimates that Hamas is holding about 50 hostages, 20 of whom are believed to be alive. In Hamas captivity, they have short life expectancies.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel must accept the fact that additional military force will not compel Hamas to release the hostages. Therefore, he should take political and diplomatic steps to ensure that they will not die of starvation or disease in captivity. Israel should propose to the U.N. and international humanitarian aid organizations that they will meet with Israeli and Hamas negotiators to devise and implement a process for delivering three full meals daily to all the surviving hostages. An international team of aid workers would be present to observer the delivery and consumption of all meals to ensure that all hostages are adequately fed. In addition, doctors would regularly assess the health of the hostages. If necessary, Israel could condition the establishment of additional aid sites for Palestinians in Gaza on the acceptance of this proposal.